


What Happens At Home

by dralexreid



Series: Dr Piper Bishop [61]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28647207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dralexreid/pseuds/dralexreid
Relationships: Dr Spencer Reid/Dr Piper Bishop
Series: Dr Piper Bishop [61]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972852
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

The team seemed well-rested as they dropped into the conference room, all save for Rossi, as Hotch briefed them on the case. 3 women were murdered inside a gated community in New Mexico within the last 2 months. Marjorie West was strangled in her home in the middle of the night while her family was out of town. They found her the next morning. Jill Long was strangled in the laundry room while her husband and sons were camping in the backyard. And last night, Aubrey Jacobs was killed in her home office while her daughter and husband were asleep in the house.

“That’s weird,” Piper noted immediately, and all eyes were on her. “Just that—uh, the first two aren’t as risky as the last one. Unsub’s getting bolder with each kill.”

“Occupied dwellings _is_ as high-risk as it gets,” Derek agreed.

“And he's fearless,” Spencer added.

“Proximity, the chance he might get caught...” Emily trailed off. “That could be part of it for him.”

“And he clearly has a type. Married, blonde women,” Piper scoffed.

“Lucky us,” Emily snickered to her quietly.

“You said gated community,” Spencer said, ignoring the idiots next to him. “I'm assuming that means security?”

“A small security staff and perimeter cameras,” Hotch answered easily. “Everything's recorded 24-7, and no one has entered or left the compound since last night except residents. It looks like the unsub is part of the community. The local detective says that demographics, general makeup, and socioeconomic status of the residents is essentially the same.”

“That's going to make a profile difficult,” Emily said.

“Unless we examine a different set of parameters,” Aaron countered.

“Different parameters?” Derek asked confused.

“Rossi's working on that right now,” Hotch said evasively, dismissing them to gather their things, review the case on their own until Rossi arrived with their asset. So, the profilers left, reading through the details as Rossi walked through the bullpen, a young blonde woman porting an FBI sweatshirt trailing after them before they disappeared behind closed doors. Derek stopped pacing with his baseball, swivelling on his heel to glance at Spencer, but he just shrugged.

* * *

David strode into the briefing room where Aaron was already seated. “You remember Agent Hotchner?” David asked the woman who nodded, stretching her hand out to shake Aaron’s.

“Glad to see you're doing so well,” Aaron said pleasantly, gesturing for her to take a seat. David took one next to Aaron.

“I told Ashley she may be able to help us with this case.” If she was nervous, she was desperately trying not to show it, David noted. Her back was stiff, her eyes alert and her interlocked hands placed respectfully on the table.

“We have an unsub who manages to live in close proximity to his victims without raising an alarm,” Aaron started. “That we've seen before. What's new here is what the local police are telling us about the community itself. Demographically, everyone's basically the same. Most of the parameters we would look for to build a profile seem to exist in most of the men. But we thought if the unsub has children, and the statistics tell us that he probably does, would the children exhibit certain specific behaviour?”

“So, this isn’t about my academic scores?” Ashley scoffed softly; the question mostly directed to David.

“No,” David said gently, his elbow angling his wrist so that his fingers rested on his chin.

“Great,” she said, with no sense of enthusiasm. “Give me 15 minutes. I have a change of clothes in the car.”

“Agent Seaver, we're not detailing you to the unit,” Hotch quickly amended. “We want to ask you some questions.” Ashley nodded slowly, seemingly hesitant.

“Do you have some concerns?” David asked.

“I want to help, and I know that I can,” Ashley offered. “But I don't think I can tell you what to look for without seeing the families myself.” Aaron and David shared a look, coming to an agreement with one glance.

“You understand you go only as a consultant on this one case?” Aaron asked.

“I understand, sir,” Ashley said quickly.

“And you're to do nothing without another member of the team present,” Aaron directed her, and she agreed immediately.

“This won't be easy, Ashley,” David warned. “It may trigger some extremely painful memories.”

“I appreciate the concern. But when your father kills 25 women before you're a teenager, painful memories don't need a trigger. They just are.” David nodded, letting her get her things and change while the two profilers left the briefing room to meet Penelope who was handing out victim files and updating them.

“I've notified the primary detective and the Oak Tree Hills security office of your requirements,” Penelope reported, passing them their paper files. “You should know that that security office is particularly efficient.”

“Except someone's killing people right under their noses,” David scoffed. “Call me old-fashioned, but that doesn't seem like efficient security.”

“Yeah. I'm running background checks on all the male residents, too.”

“Good,” Aaron said, glancing through the file. “And check wider in New Mexico for similar crimes, strangling in occupied dwellings.”

“Wish you, command me. I shall call you the moment I have anything to contribute or an overwhelming desire to speak to my beautiful Derek Morgan, whichever comes first,” Penelope said cheerfully, earning Aaron’s signature mouth quirk.

“Let me guess who'll win,” David scoffed.

“Mm-hmm. And you'd be right,” Penelope smirked, rubbing David’s shoulder. “I bid you adieu and safe travels, mon ami.” Penelope left, her pretty pigtails flouncing as she walked away.

“They called from downstairs. Ashley's on her way up,” Aaron remarked.

“Have you decided what to tell the team about who she is?”

“They're going to need to know. But as far as how she wants to tell them, I thought we might play that by ear. I assume since she goes by Seaver that she doesn't want people knowing who she is.” David nodded grudgingly.

“There she is,” Rossi said, his gaze falling to the glass doors. “Kind of makes you feel old, doesn't it?”

“No,” Hotch said, meeting his friend’s gaze nonchalantly.

“Me neither,” Rossi smirked and Hotch broke into a smile. Somehow, Dave always managed to find that chink in his armour, Aaron noted, as he followed the older man down the stairs. Derek and Emily stood from her desk as he greeted Ashley.

“Agent Trainee Seaver, Supervisory Special Agents Prentiss and Morgan,” Dave introduced, gesturing to the profilers.

“Hi, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Ashley said, holding her hand to shake both of theirs.

“Well, I hope it was all good,” Derek said smoothly.

“Very, sir.”

“Anything specific? I mean about me in particular,” he said, smiling disarmingly and Emily rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please, don't encourage him,” Emily pleaded as an arguing duo joined them.

“Music isn’t mathematical!” the woman cried as she tried to balance a tray of coffees.

“Yes, there is a basis to—what do you call rhythm and metre?” the taller man protested, clutching his messenger bag.

“It’s how you people who can’t play try to understand it. You feel it in your bones, that’s all there is to it.”

“That makes no sense!”

“It’s not meant to!” she countered as they slowed down. “It’s like sport, you feel it in your gut.”

“Agent Seaver, Dr Reid and Bishop,” Hotch said wearily, as though their arguments were a daily phenomenon, which they were. Spencer waved in his typical adorable, dorky fashion while Piper shook her hand pleasantly. “Agent Seaver is on loan to us from the academy while she's in remedial training with an injury,” Aaron supplied.

“Concussion,” Ashley said. “Hand-to-hand got a little out of control.”

“Oof, how’s the other guy look?” Piper joked.

“Ooh, don’t ask,” Ashley scoffed, smiling as Piper passed their coffees around, wincing as she realised Ashley didn’t have a cup.

“Remind me to get you a latte when we get back,” Piper said.

“Deal,” Ashley said, smiling.

“I was remediated in the academy also,” Spencer offered.

“What was your issue?”

“What was my issue?” Spencer asked himself, almost out of self-deprecation. “Marksmanship, physical training, obstacle course, Hogan's Alley, you know, pretty much everything that wasn't technically book related. They ultimately had to make exceptions to allow me into the field.” Ashley nodded slowly; her gaze fixed on the handsome doctor.

“Yeah, well, the team wouldn’t be the same without him,” Piper amended, and Spencer smiled sheepishly.

“Agent Seaver's going to accompany us to New Mexico as a consultant,” Aaron said, redirecting the conversation.

“Oh, what’s your specialty?” Piper asked beaming but Ashley didn’t quite know how to answer the question.

“She has a…unique perspective,” David answered for her.

“They don't know?” Ashley asked, turning to Rossi as Piper and Derek shared a look. Derek just shrugged, no idea what they were talking about.

“Well, we weren't sure how you wanted to, uh...”

“Seaver's not my original last name,” Ashley said with finality. “It's my mother's maiden name. Mine used to be Beauchamp. My father is Charles Beauchamp.” Piper looked around and it seemed the rest of the room knew something she didn’t, a feeling she didn’t like.

“As in the Redmond Ripper Charles Beauchamp?” Spencer asked and Piper’s mouth formed a small ‘O’.

“That's him,” Ashley admitted.

“He killed 25 women over 10 years in rural North Dakota,” Spencer recited uncomfortably. “I think that you caught him, right, Rossi?”

“Hotch was on that team, too,” Rossi supplied.

“Based on her life experience, we were hoping that Agent Seaver might recognize something in the family dynamics inside the community that could be helpful,” Hotch explained. “We have a plane waiting,” he reminded them. Piper and Spencer had already dumped their bags in the jet before grabbing a round of coffees on their way back up so while Spencer discussed the case with Rossi, Piper walked in step with Ashley.

“So, remedial training, huh?” Piper asked with a friendly smile.

“Really, no questions about the serial killer dad?” Ashley scoffed.

“Well, I’m not worried about you killing me if that’s your question,” she smirked into her coffee as they entered the elevator.

“You know, they talk about you at the Academy.” Piper’s face contorted into something unrecognisable.

“What do they say?”

“Just that you’re one of the fastest rising agents they’ve seen.” Piper grimaced.

“Yeah, I had some help,” Piper joked weakly. “Derek helped me with a lot of my physical training. Spencer helped me with the theory. Plus, Jason Gideon recruited me,” Piper confessed. The elevator doors opened again. “Don’t believe everything they say.”


	2. Chapter 2

The jet was quiet, with the team looking at victimology fairly quickly. Piper was confused as to how they could break into the house and Derek suggested it might have been someone with the security team. Ashley was fairly quiet, observing the team dynamic and how they worked together as a family. She noticed the small jokes Emily and Piper shared that was far too dark to share with the group. She noticed how Aaron was particularly susceptible to smile at David’s odd, dry wit. She noticed how Spencer’s gaze was fairly focused until it would shift to Piper. She noticed how Derek and Emily would always share a smirk every time it happened.

When they arrived, they were waved through security fairly easily. The 6 of them were equally divided between 4 vehicles. Hotch and Rossi led from the front in one SUV, Emily and Ashley behind them, Derek and Spencer behind the ladies in theirs and Piper in the back with a bike that the Albuquerque Field Office had kindly provided. They didn’t have an office like the team were used to. Instead, the detective had fitted them into a model house that was for sale. Meanwhile, Spencer was detailing the misquotation behind the phrase ‘beam me up Scotty,’ until Derek hushed him as the detective approached them. “Tell me later,” Piper whispered before stretching her hand out to shake Detective Ruiz’s, who assured them to call him Felix.

“I'm Agent Hotchner,” Aaron offered. “These are Agents Morgan and Prentiss. Dr Reid and Bishop, Agent Rossi, and Agent Seaver.”

“Thank you all for coming. As your tech requested, we moved everything from the station right here into the model home.”

“Thank you.”

“Agent Prentiss and I would love to take a look around,” Derek volunteered. “Get a feel for the area.”

“We'd like to see the latest crime scene, too, if that's possible,” Emily added.

“Of course. Let me just get everybody situated and I'll walk you over there,” the detective assured them.

“Oh, we can find it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. It's no problem,” Emily convinced him, and the detective affirmed it, guiding the team members to the model home.

“You ever think about this, Rossi?” Piper said, with that smirk that meant she was going to say something that might risk her employment.

“What?”

“You know, the white picket fence, the family, couple of kids running around the place.”

“I handle the 4 of you, that’s not enough?” David smirked.

“Technically, Hotch does that,” Piper prodded, hushing immediately as Detective Ruiz, or Felix turned to address them.

“These are the evidence boards,” Felix gestured at the black boards with crime scene photos stuck on. “As you can see, we're still in the process of moving in. Didn’t think the whole neighbourhood needed to see it.”

“Yeah, gated communities can be like that,” Piper said, glancing around the house. “With everyone so adamant to show that their life is idyllic, the tiniest amount of drama can spark a riot.”

“Yeah, well, I’m part of the community too,” Ruiz retorted, slightly offended at Piper’s brash language.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” Piper apologised immediately. “And this is a lot of work, so thank you, Detective.” He seemed to relax at that, and Piper felt as though she could breathe, returning to Spencer’s side.

“I hope you don't mind, but I also worked up a cursory profile,” Ruiz offered, and Piper handed him a surprised smile. Hotch wasn’t so forward.

“You did?” he asked, not a glimpse of emotion gracing his face.

“Yeah. I took an FBI seminar on serial crime in Albuquerque. Twice.”

“Let's see what you've got so far,” David asked.

“All right. He's organized. He took everything to the scene, he left nothing behind. Which means he lives with a spouse or some kind of long-term partner. Has a steady, skilled job. Physically, he presents himself as non-threatening, but he craves power and control, so he may have a job or an activity that gives him that.”

“Not bad,” David commended as Ashley glided over to the evidence boards, gazing at the photos of the dead women on each board.

“Unfortunately, I just described 64 of the 71 men who live in the subdivision,” Ruiz said, sighing as he glanced at the model of the neighbourhood. Piper nodded slowly, pulling out her buzzing cell.

“Who’s my favourite tech analyst?” Piper greeted her, moving over to the kitchen.

_“Aww, that would be sweet if you knew any other tech analysts.”_

“Wha—I know Kevin.”

_“He’s my boyfriend, you’re not meant to like him.”_

“Alright, I know I’m not Morgan but please tell me you’ve got me something.”

_“I have put together an entire kit and kaboodle on each of our 64 suspects.”_

“Ahh, I knew there was a reason I loved you.”

_“Why do you hurt me like this?”_

“All love babe,” Piper smiled as the fax machine hummed to life. “Now, c’mon, ask me what you’re begging to ask me.”

_“How's it going with the agent whose father was a...”_

“Babe, we’ve talked about intra-team background checks.”

_“What? I am not gonna let some strange new person travel with my family and not find out who they are.”_

“She’s fine,” Piper dismissed, letting the files collect.

_“Oh my god, what is that in your voice?”_

“What?”

_“You’re jealous.”_

“Wha—am not!”

_“Are too!”_

“I am not,” Piper said calmly, trying not to draw attention to herself.

_“You so are!”_

“This is ridiculous.”

_“Oh, you so owe me details of **everything**.”_

“Look, just ‘cause she’s a little pretty and blonde and has those really captivating hazel eyes does not mean I am insecure enough to be **jealous**.”

_“Uh-huh. Have fun, ladybug.”_

“You suck, Pen.” But the line had already clicked, and Piper heaved a sigh at her friend’s childishness. She organised the files, piling them neatly before dropping them and yelping at the sudden sight of the security guard.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” the man said. He was unshaven, his sideburns trailing along his jaw.

“No, just surprised me is all,” Piper said, trying to slow her heart rate as she picked up the files.

“What’s that?” Brinkman gestured to the files.

“Just some files our tech analyst sent over on the suspects,” Piper offered vaguely, making to turn around and join the others as soon as possible. Except his hand had closed over her upper arm.

“I could have given you that.” Piper looked over her shoulder where Spencer was leaning on the desk next to Ashley. His back was to the both of them.

“Sorry?” Piper asked, following his pull.

“The background checks. I have a set in my office.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do, but federal databases are generally more detailed. That and our tech analyst would then have nothing to do back in Virginia.” Piper wrenched her arm out of Brinkman’s hand. “It’s nothing personal,” she said before leaving to join the others, slightly rattled. “Pen’s background checks have arrived.”

“Impeccable timing as always,” Dave said, smiling.

“Hey, she’s vetting security staff too, right?”

“Yeah, separate check,” Aaron hummed.

“Everything okay?” Spencer asked, noticing Piper rubbing her arm gently.

“Yeah…” she trailed off, looking over her shoulder. “Something about Brinkman rubbed me the wrong way,” she thought aloud. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Wait, why are we vetting the police and security?” Ashley asked curiously.

“Apart from Piper’s weird gut instincts?” David joked. “Law enforcement and security are the kinds of jobs that would attract this unsub.”

“He likes having control over the community. He thrives on it,” Piper said, settling onto a barstool.

“Dennis Rader, BTK, was a compliance officer in Park City, Kansas. Kenneth Bianchi, one of the Hillside Stranglers, worked as a security guard in California and Washington,” Spencer recited proudly, feeling Piper’s fingertips against his own. He squeezed softly without breaking eye contact with Ashley, something they’d learned to do the hard way.

“Psychopaths love official jobs and uniforms,” David scoffed as Aaron joined them from the other end of the room.

“Ruiz interrogated every adult male in the community,” Hotch reported.

“Did he find anything?” Dave asked but Aaron shook his head.

“He used a confrontational method. They were all defensive but they’re all digitised. Bishop, I want you to go through them all.” Piper nodded, getting back to work as Ashley’s gaze kept shifting to Spencer and the evidence boards behind him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emily sat beside Mr Drew Jacobs who was beginning to get more frustrated as the conversation went on. “They don't have **anything**! After the second woman was killed, Detective Ruiz said they had evidence.”

“The police are doing everything they can,” Emily offered placatingly.

“And now you're telling me you have nothing? You have no idea who did this?” Drew asked in outrage. “I don't understand how something like this could happen and no one heard or saw anything.”

“It's because the kind of person who does this spends their life practising,” she explained. “And what they're good at is getting away with it.”

“Yeah, well, Aubrey never hurt anybody in her whole life.”

“I wish I had answers for you.” Her voice was soft and gentle as Emily shifted her gaze to the bright pink and purple backpack in the corner.

“It's my... my daughter. I gotta get her out of here. Everywhere she looks...” he trailed off, hoping the agent would understand, which she did. She heard Derek’s footsteps taking the staircase two at a time.

“Where is she now?” Emily asked gently.

“She's in her room,” he said. “Do you need to talk to her?”

“No. That's all right.”

“Sir, you said the unsub came through the garage,” Derek asked, joining them.

“Yeah. Detective Ruiz said the remote openers in this compound only have 5 unique codes. Well, you'd think they would tell you that when you moved in, right? Anyone could just drive around and open up a fifth of the garage doors. I usually make sure all the inside doors are locked up, but Aubrey stayed up late and...” He trailed off again,

“We're very sorry for your loss,” Emily offered as a small voice called out from upstairs.

“That’s my daughter,” Drew admitted. “Can I, uh—”

“Of course,” Emily said, letting the father leave to go upstairs before sharing a look with Derek.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper had checked about 28 interviews in the past 2 hours, a good feat considering each interview was about an hour long. She’d been watching them on a split-screen, at triple speed with the voice muted. She and Aaron were scanning for body language while Spencer and David looked through background checks in their separate stations. Spencer and Piper had an intuitive system; after each mini-task, they would glance at each other from across the room, as though to check the other was okay. As Piper wrapped up her 29th and 30th interviews, she glanced back up, growing uneasy as Ashley sidled up to her partner. Aaron noticed, coughing subtly and she turned back to her work, not that there was much left to do. Aaron had been working back from the 64th interview, which meant she could do the last 4 interviews

“All that stuff you said about BTK and the Hillside Strangler, it's all in your head?” Ashley asked him as Aaron rose from his seat.

“I have an eidetic memory,” Spencer admitted, going through each background.

“So, you know everything my dad did, then. I only know what I was told and what was in the papers. I don't have a lot of details.”

“Uh, what sort of details—”

“Agent Seaver,” Aaron called out. “There's going to be a community meeting tonight. We're going to all look for visual cues, but I want you specifically to concentrate on family interactions.” Ashley nodded and Piper looked up involuntarily, tuning into the conversation. “Chief Brinkman, we need to have a place to hold a town meeting.”

“Well, there's a church on the east side of the development,” Brinkman offered.

“Will you have your men notify residents that there'll be a meeting there at 6 pm? Stress that it's important but not compulsory,” Aaron asked, and Brinkman nodded, leaving the model house. Detective Ruiz glanced from over Piper’s shoulder when Aaron called for him. He walked over from the window seat to the middle of the house. “Can you make some officers available to run a sign-in table at a community meeting tonight? One of the things we're going to be examining is body language in a group environment.”

“Body language?” Ruiz looked between the profilers and the consultant.

“It's something that the unsub won't be able to control even if he were to try to,” Aaron explained.

“Right. Right. I'll have some uniforms detailed to the meeting.”

“Will you also tell Brinkman that the unsub will display something that he can't control?”

“Okay,” Ruiz agreed, making to leave as Piper joined them, biting her lip.

“You look worried. You’re doing that thing again,” Spencer noted.

“M fine,” she said quietly.

“Bishop, what’s wrong?” Hotch asked firmly.

“You know, it’s likely the unsub won’t show up,” Piper started.

“Why not?” Ashley asked and Piper looked over at her.

“Because this is his ideal killing condition. Every time he’s killed before, he’s done it when nobody was looking. What are the odds he’s gonna kill again tonight?” Piper asked.

“He needs the thrill,” Dave said. “Each kill is getting bolder. The killing isn’t giving him the same satisfaction.”

“And if we’re wrong, someone else could die tonight,” Piper countered. “I’d like to do a sweep of the neighbourhood while you’re all at the meeting,” she asked, not backing down from Hotch’s gaze. Ashley watched the interaction.

“You’ll call us immediately?” Piper nodded firmly. “And you won’t do anything without back up?” She nodded again. “Fine,” he acquiesced, and they returned to their work. Piper finished the last of the interviews while Spencer, Dave and Aaron breezed through the last of the background checks.

Meanwhile, Emily and Derek continued to survey Mrs Jacobs’s home office. Derek looked through her computer while Emily went through the bookshelves and pictures. “Looks like she was writing a story or something.”

“Yeah, her husband said she was taking classes. She wanted to be a novelist.”

“I want to get this over to Garcia so she can do her thing,” Derek said, pulling out his cell phone.

“Man, this job,” Emily exclaimed wearily, picking up the little girl’s photograph. She was dressed as a witch, presumably for Halloween. “What we see, all these lives cut short.”

“I know, Prentiss,” Derek sighed as he raised his cell to his ear.

 _“I was just thinking about you,”_ Penelope smirked from her lair.

“Baby girl, listen. We got a laptop here that was owned by the last victim. I'm gonna hook it up for you over at the model home so you can work your magic, all right?”

_“What kind of magic?”_

“Well, she was a writer, so maybe she kept a journal? Maybe she noticed somebody following her or just felt something weird, I don't know.”

 _“So, we're fishing,_ ” Penelope sighed. She hated going through victim backgrounds. But everything could help.

“Yep. Fish away.”

 _“Okay. I just so happen to have a pair of chartreuse waders I never get to wear,”_ she joked dryly.

“Oh, and, Garcia, the suspects who are left, see if any of them have a tech background, enough that they would know how to modify a remote garage door opener.”

 _“Done, love you, ciao,”_ she said rapidly before clicking the line shut. Derek stood up, closing the laptop as they started to leave.

“Tech background?” Emily asked once they were in the car.

“Marjorie West's family was out of town. Jill Long was strangled in her laundry room while her family was camping outside. And right here the unsub's able to get through the entire house only to find a room where somebody was awake?” Derek posed as Emily’s phone buzzed. “Does that sound like somebody just randomly checking garage doors to see if the fifth one will open?”

“No. That sounds like someone who can open the garage he specifically needs to be opened.” Emily nodded before listening to Rossi’s instructions. “We’ll be right there.” She let the phone sit on the dashboard, turning to Derek in their car. “Rossi wants us at the church. They're setting up a community meeting. Piper wants to patrol the community.”

“That’s 71 houses to keep an eye on,” Derek countered, pulling out of the driveway.

“She’s probably worried about another attack tonight,” Emily reasoned. “Besides, almost everyone will be at the meeting.” Derek nodded, still worried.


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer chewed his lip as he waited for Emily and Derek to show up. Dave noticed him fidgeting and sighed. It was like he was dealing with children. He excused himself from Aaron’s side, moving over to Spencer. “Bishop left for her patrol 10 minutes ago,” Dave reminded him as people started filing in for the meeting.

“I know,” Spencer said, trying and failing to mask any emotion.

“She might be getting bored,” the profiler hinted. “Might appreciate someone checking up on her.” Spencer looked over at Dave.

“The meeting hasn’t started yet either,” Spencer added, and Dave nodded.

“There’s also two profilers yet to arrive,” he added with a smirk. “We can’t start without them.”

“I’m gonna check on the sign-up sheet desk.”

“You do that,” Rossi said, chuckling to himself as Reid dashed away and Aaron appeared by his side. “How many times did I have to do that to you?” Rossi asked as they both watched people file in. Aaron snorted softly under his breath.

Spencer Reid stood outside the church doorway; profilers scattered as more residents arrived. The crisp November air ruffled his hair as he dialled her number.

“ _Hi.”_ Her warm voice relaxed all of his doubts and worries. “ _Something wrong?”_

“Yeah, it’s a medical emergency,” Spencer deadpanned. “I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

_“I see. Well, is it a benign or malignant problem?”_

“Perfectly benign and entirely tolerable.”

 _“Wow, I’ve never been called tolerable,”_ she said snarkily.

“To be honest, I don’t particularly want you out of my head.” He couldn’t help smiling, leaning against the wall as he revelled in the image of her blushing as she sat straddled on her bike.

_“Well, I’m glad you called anyway. It’s an excellent cover.”_

“I see, well, maybe I should just hang up if that’s all it is,” Spencer scoffed, and Piper chuckled warmly on the other end.

_“If it helps, I really wish you were here.”_

“Yeah?” She hummed in agreement.

 _“I miss you,”_ she said softly. _“I miss how your arms feel wrapped around me and your breath against my neck, the wind rushing past us as the sun sets.”_

“Pipes, I’m literally 10 minutes away. You’re so dramatic.”

_“Oh, you love it. Also heads up, Morgan and Prentiss’ll be there in T minus 3 minutes so you better get rid of that blush if you don’t want to be ripped apart by those sharks.”_

“Thank you for the notice. Stay safe okay?”

“ _Always. I’ve got something brilliant waiting for me_ ,” she said gently, and the line clicked, leaving Spencer on the pavement outside the church as the sun set behind it in the chilly November air. He slipped the cell into his pocket, making his way up the steps to join the profilers on the church podium. In exactly 3.5 minutes, Emily and Derek joined the rest of the team, letting them know what they had found and what Garcia was working on. Aaron asked if anyone had seen Detective Ruiz and Spencer relayed that he had seen him at the sign-up desk a while ago.

“We need to ask for help in a different way,” David advised. “Tell people that we're looking for someone who might have seen something rather than someone who did something. No one thinks that their friends or neighbours are capable of this.”

“We should get started,” Aaron agreed.

* * *

Darkness had settled over the small but elite community in New Mexico. Piper was cruising along the road, stopping at every house that was still lit. The chance that she would see the unsub was minimal, but if it meant she could reduce the chance of someone dying, she was more than willing to miss the community meeting. Every now and then if she spotted a young woman who was alone at home, she’d knock to check in on them. She had a perfectly acceptable ruse; she’d ask if she’d seen anyone suspicious and for her to remain a little cautious. With her dark coat and slacks paired with combat boots meant she was practically invisible. The road was void of traffic and the silence practically deafening. Her engine hummed underneath as she passed a few more darkened houses.

Meanwhile, Emily leaned over to their consultant, Ashley, asking what they were looking for. “It won't be overt. The kids probably won't be afraid of Dad,” she explained.

“They won't?” Derek asked confusedly. “These guys have explosive tempers, don't they?”

“Definitely. Anger wasn't normal at my house. Usually when it happened, when it exploded, it was an anomaly. A surprise. If anything, my father was overly solicitous. Too nice. And if I wanted anything... Bicycles, toys, dolls... All I had to do was ask.” She looked back out to the large group in the audience, constantly reflecting on her own past. “In groups, he always held my hand. Always,” she said, glancing at the little girl next to her own father in the front row. “Sometimes so tight, it almost cut off the circulation. But I can never remember him putting me on his lap, holding me in any way.” She went quiet, sinking into the old trauma until Emily called her name again. “And... He'd always have these talks with me. He was terrified someone would take me.”

“Because he knew what was out there,” Emily reasoned, shifting her gaze to Ashley as Aaron kept talking to his audience.

“Yeah, men like him,” Derek said, keeping any bitterness from his tone.

“You know, maybe this man recently bought gifts for his kids. My dad used to buy me things all the time.”

“What kinds of gifts?” Emily asked.

“Anything. Everything. I told you, there was nothing...” Ashley trailed off, glancing back to the front, specifically the dog in the front of the whole room. “My whole life, there's only one thing I wanted that I couldn't have.”

“Which was?”

“A pet.” Ashley said and the profilers let Aaron finish his talk with the neighbourhood while Piper pulled up in front of another house. She pulled her helmet off, settling it atop the bike as she walked up the driveway, glancing around. She lifted a hand to ring the doorbell when her gaze dropped through the window. A woman lay on the floor as the kettle whistled in the background. Piper acted instinctively, shooting at the doorhandle before kicking it open. Piper rushed to the woman’s side, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck, feeling warm, still skin, the faintest sign of a pulse. She speed-dialled the first number she had on her phone, leaving it beside her on speaker as she pressed an ear to the woman’s chest.

“ _Wizard of Oz, present and speaking. Wish away, mortal!”_ Penelope greeted as Piper started doing chest compressions.

“Garcia, I need an ambulance! Residence 14b, hurry!”

“ _Oh my god, yes, okay, on it. I am calling Reid too.”_

“No! He’ll just worry and panic. Call Rossi!”

“ _Okay, on it. Just stay on the phone for me.”_

“They never…tell you…how exhausting…CPR is…This is like doing push-ups.”

_“Ugh. This is why I don’t leave my lair.”_

“Any way that I could get a lair?” Piper joked before leaning down to pump two quick breaths through the woman’s mouth. “Or a name for this woman I’m trying to save?” She returned to doing chest compressions.

“ _Maureen Watson.”_

“ETA on the ambulance?”

“At least 15 minutes, babe.” Piper groaned as her cell buzzed.

“That’s Spencer. I have to take it.”

 _“Okay, be careful,”_ Penelope said before hanging up.

 _“Piper?”_ Spencer’s voice rang out clear on the cell.

“Hey,” she said tiredly.

_“Sweetheart, the ambulance won’t get there in time.”_

“Penelope said 15 minutes. I can do it,” Piper grimaced, powering through the pain.

_“Piper, listen to me, baby, it’s too late.”_

“I can’t just let her die, Reid!” she yelled, thrusting her wrists hard against her chest. She heard silence.

“Okay, Bishop. We’ll be there in 3 minutes.”

“Hurry! I don’t know how much longer I can keep going,” Piper cried before leaning over Maureen to press two quick breaths. The line went silent and Piper pleaded with Maureen to stay alive. “C’mon, Maureen, please. Don’t die on me. Please don’t die on me,” she said softly, sweat beading on her forehead as she kept going.

“Oh my God, Maureen!” Piper glanced up to see a middle-aged man holding his daughter’s hand.

“Mr Watson? I’m Dr Bishop with the FBI,” Piper said, continuing to pump on Maureen’s chest. “My credentials are in my pocket.

“Mommy?” The little girl asked softly.

“I—I’m a doctor, I can help,” Mr Watson offered, and he leant by his wife’s side, helping Piper with the CPR. But Spencer was right, and for the first time in a long time, he wished he wasn’t. He arrived as promised to a scene of a tragedy. Dr Watson held his wife’s warm corpse in his arm, his crying echoed by his daughter. Piper was standing next to the kitchen counter, wiping the blood staining her hands shakily. Rossi stepped outside to let Garcia know that the ambulance was no longer needed and call Hotch over. Spencer trod over to her, placing his warm hand on her shoulder. She responded immediately, wrapping herself in Spencer’s arms, burying herself in his neck, careful not to stain his clothes. Piper basked in his warmth, her guilt and hurt and disappointment and self-hatred melting away in one simple, loving gesture. David’s voice and padding footsteps pulled them apart and Piper asked if she could get a change of clothes. Rossi nodded; what with Aaron and Derek arriving in a matter of minutes, it could quickly become a matter of too many cooks and a large bucket of broth.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily and Ashley were on their way to the model house. 18 people hadn’t shown up to the meeting, not including Detective Ruiz and Chief Brinkman. “That was good stuff back there, what you said. That was helpful,” Emily said, filling the otherwise silent car.

“Was it?” Ashley asked, glancing at the other woman.

“Yeah,” Emily agreed. “Profiling is a process. It's about puzzle pieces, things that don't look like they fit until they do.”

“I still don't know how anything I said will be helpful,” Ashley confessed.

“Well, you never know,” Emily countered. “If we have a subject in interrogation, knowing that he's a father who's a serial killer who might be overprotective, that could be the perfect way to get him to talk,” she offered. “The truth is, I... I never actually thought about them being fathers at all,” Emily admitted.

“I don't think anyone does.”

“Is he still alive, your father?”

“North Dakota does not have the death penalty,” Ashley said almost bitterly. “And the answer to your next questions is no, I have never been to see him. He writes from time to time, but... I haven't opened any of the letters.”

“Do you keep them?”

“Yes. Is that wrong?”

“I don't think there is any right or wrong when it comes to that,” Emily said honestly.

“Can I ask you a question?” Emily hummed a yes. “When you catch them, do they ever say why? Do they have an explanation?”

“Never a good one,” Emily answered, pulling up to the model house which was mainly empty. The two women made their way to the pile of occupancy listings and backgrounds. “Alright, let’s hope they list whether the families have any pets,” Emily murmured to Ashley, dumping her car keys on the table. “These are the list of suspects we need to weed the 18 from.” Ashley’s gaze turned to the 3 files set aside from the pile.

“What are these?”

“Victim information—” Emily clarified. “Of the families of the 3 women who were killed.”

“Families?” Ashley didn’t quite know how to feel. She still remembered all those years ago, at her father’s prosecution, the same family that came to witness every single day, watching, passing pointed glances. After all, how could his family not have known? Along with her father, she’d been blamed for it all too. At least that’s how she felt. And it was an unwelcome feeling, not one she had expected on this little trip. Perhaps David was right after all, perhaps some new memories would get triggered after all.

“Yeah, families are the hardest part about this job,” Emily admitted, doing her job, regardless of her own internal conflict, unaware that Ashley was drowning in hers. “Drew Jacobs. We talked to him this afternoon. His wife Aubrey was victim number 3.”

“She’s never going to have a mother around,” Ashley breathed as Piper walked into the house.

“Hey, Em, have you seen my go-bag anywhere?” Her voice was hollow, and Emily surveyed her body. Her leather jacket was in her hands which still had traces of blood on it. “Before you ask, no, I didn’t kill anyone.” Emily chuckled softly.

“Another victim?” Emily asked. Piper’s face fell.

“Yeah, Maureen Watson. Guess you can cross her family off,” she scoffed. Her husband was at the meeting. Go-bag?”

“Ruiz put them all upstairs,” Emily answered faintly. “You okay?”

“Fine, but at this rate, our unsub’s doing the job for us.” Piper thanked her, heading up. Silence settled on the two women as Emily got to work, weeding out files. Ashley’s gaze kept wandering around the workstation, falling on the laptop on the table.

“That doesn’t look like ours,” she pointed out. Emily looked up again, following Seaver’s gaze.

“Oh, it isn’t. Audrey Jacobs, it’s her laptop. Garcia, our tech analyst, she ran a remote data sweep of it. We're gonna have to take it back to the house.” Emily turned back to the files, only having pulled out 4 files thus far when a voice erupted from behind them. Ashley jumped and Emily’s hand jerked to her holster, but it was just Chief Brinkman asking if the meeting was over.

“Relax. It's just me,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “How'd the meeting go?”

“We missed you there,” Emily said, her hand still drifting near her gun.

“Well, I thought it would be a good time for a sweep, you know, while everyone was busy,” Brinkman answered casually. “What are you girls looking for?”

“Whether or not any of the no-shows have pets,” Ashley answered and before Emily could give her a look, Brinkman had already responded.

“Pets? Those reports aren't gonna show that.”

“No?” Emily challenged him.

“But I can find out for you. Got all that information in the security office at the gate on the south end. I'll show you.” Emily sighed, glancing at Ashley.

“I'll be back,” she promised. “And Piper’s upstairs if you need anything.” Ashley watched Emily leave with the security officer then chanced a glance up the stairs. There was no sign of the former consultant and Ashley turned the open laptop to face her, the desktop picture of a daughter and mother staring back at her, frozen in a moment of happiness. Piper would be more than happy to go with her, Ashley noted to herself. But the way she talked about the unsub made Ashley feel slightly uncomfortable. Her gaze shifted to the keys Emily had left on the table beside the laptop and the temptation overrode her orders. Piper skipped down the steps, rolling up the sleeves of her caramel jumper to find the house empty.

* * *

Spencer walked past the distraught husband and Detective Ruiz as he approached his team, trying to put away the memory of Piper so hollow and vulnerable. It killed him to still be here, working instead of holding her demons at bay. But neither Bishop nor Hotchner would appreciate that sentiment. So, he was here, surrounded by crime scene unit officers. “The unsub's killed 2 nights in a row,” he said, pointing out the obvious. “It's a major escalation.”

“We need to start over,” Aaron decided, out of earshot from the detective.

“What do you mean?” Derek asked.

“I think we go back to the beginning. Local PD gave us a list of 64 out of the 71 possible males. I think we throw that out and start with the original 71.”

“What about Ruiz?” Spencer asked, tossing a casual glance back to the two men in the hallway.

“He's definitely on the list,” David murmured, and the four profilers left the once idyllic house for the model house haunted by recent murders.

* * *

Piper pulled out her cell, dialling Emily in confusion. _“Hey, how are you doing?”_

“I’m fine, where’d you disappear?”

 _“Brinkman said he had a list of the people who don’t have pets. Must be pretty long, he’s taking forever.”_ Piper nodded. _“How’s Seaver doing? She seemed kind of shaken up when I left her.”_ Piper looked up in more confusion.

“Wait, she’s not with you?”

_“What kind of—no, I left her there. She’s just gone?”_

“Okay, Em, listen to me. We are two professional profilers, okay, we can figure out where Ashley went. Did you take your car keys with you?”

_“N-No, I left them on the table next to the laptop.”_

“Okay, well, there are no keys and no laptop here,” Piper answered. “Why would she take the laptop?”

_“Because it belonged to Aubrey Jacobs.”_

“Our 3rd vic? Okay, let Hotch know where I’m headed. I’m gonna go pick her up.”

 _“Alright. See ya.”_ The line clicked and Piper grabbed her keys and helmet on the table before letting the front door close behind her.

* * *

Derek drove in his seat next to Spencer, the radio playing faintly in the background. “Everything alright, kid?” Spencer’s eyes never left the road in front of them. Derek thought he wasn’t going to say anything until finally, he spoke up.

“You ever wonder where we’d be if not for this job?”

“Woah,” Derek chuckled. “Where’d this come from?”

“C’mon, Morgan. You can’t look around this place and not think about it. We throw everything into this job and out of this whole team, somehow Garcia and I are the only ones in a stable relationship purely for the fact that we work with our partners.” Derek leaned his head on the headrest.

“You’re right,” Derek sighed. “Kid, there’s only so long we can keep doing this job. And the longer you’re in it, it seems like you’re gonna turn out worse.” Spencer snorted.

“That conversation isn’t going to be easy.” Derek chuckled again.

“Nothing worth having ever is,” Derek said with a smile as the duo pulled into the model house driveway. They exited the car, joining Hotch and Rossi as the four profilers reunited with Emily in the centre of the house.

Hotch asked Reid to pull out all 71 files only for him to find that there were only 64. All 5 profilers turned to Ruiz for an explanation. “Well, one of them is me,” Ruiz said, as though that was a sufficient explanation. “And the other 3 are the victims' husbands.”

“Why would they automatically be cleared?” Derek asked.

“Wouldn't they?” Ruiz asked incredulously. “I mean, if you're gonna check them, you might as well check me.”

“We are,” David answered easily.

“Detective, where are the missing files?” Aaron intervened. Ruiz turned, pulling the four files out from a drawer and passing them to David who was the closest.

“Garcia, we need you to run a few more names,” David asked. “Phillip Long.”

_“Long has no suspicions on his record, no arrests, and no technology either.”_

“Drew Jacobs.” Emily perked up at the name, her instincts kicking in.

* * *

Piper turned the engine off after stopping in front of the Jacobs’s residence. She pulled off her helmet, running a hand through her hair quickly. Placing her helmet on the bike handle, Piper unhooked her leg from the bike before pulling out the cell. She sighed at seeing Spencer’s name glowing on the cell. “Hello, you’ve reached God. Can I interest you in vague advice on faith, love and humanity?”

“Are you at Jacobs’ house yet?”

“Right outside, why?”

“He’s the unsub. We’re on our way.” Piper’s jaw dropped as she turned to the house.

“Spence, Seaver’s in there with him.”

“Hotch wants you to wait.”

“Wai—Spence, she’s alone without training. I can’t just leave her in there.”

“We’ll be there in a minute. Piper, just—” But whatever Spencer was going to say next, she didn’t hear, turning her phone off before pulling out her gun. She placed a gentle hand on the doorhandle, finding that it gave way under the smallest pressure. He must have been surprised by Ashley’s appearance. Using her foot, she pushed the door, her gun still raised in front of her. She followed the sound of voices upstairs.

“How do you...know...how the killer's family will feel?” Drew asked. Piper was sick of the name Andrew and any variation of it as she inched closer to the bedroom.

“We study it in the FBI, behaviour,” Ashley said, petting Heather Jacobs’ hair. “We've conducted interviews.”

“Of killers' families?”

“Sometimes.”

“Why would you do that?” Drew asked, still holding a glass of water in his hand.

“I... I really need to be getting back out there,” Ashley excused herself, but Drew intervened.

“I know, I know. It's just... This is important to me. How do you know? How do you know what his family will think?” Ashley’s cell rang and Piper took advantage of the distraction, taking the foot extra before pressing the barrel of her gun to the small of his back.

“Ashley, take Heather downstairs please,” Piper said, her voice clearly ringing out, not noticing as Drew withdrew a knife from his pocket. But Ashley did and she did the first thing that came to mind. She screamed, making Piper flinch, which Drew took advantage of. He whipped around, knocking the gun out of Piper’s hand and she could barely register it clattering to the ground over the press of his knife to Piper’s neck.

“Daddy, no!” Heather screamed and Piper was very aware of the cold metal grazing her skin.

“How do you know?” Drew yelled at Ashley.

“Please... Please, don't make her watch,” Ashley pleaded.

“What?” Drew blinked at the blonde woman.

“Your daughter. You never let her see you angry, right? Please, don't let her see this. She will never forget it, Mr. Jacobs. If you let her see this, she will never forgive you,” Ashley said, pleading with the man and Drew listened, telling Heather to go downstairs.

“You don't have to do this, Mr Jacobs,” Piper said.

“Shut up!” Drew yelled and Piper rolled her eyes. “I'm gonna ask you one more time... How do you know what the families will think?”

“Oh, come on, like she knows. She’s not even a profiler,” Piper said, sending Seaver a subtle wink.

“She—She’s right. I’m just a trainee.”

“Look, I’ve interviewed dozens of families,” Piper lied. “I can answer all your questions, just let Ashley go. I mean, she doesn’t even have a gun or a badge.” Drew looked at Piper’s dark brown hair, then at Ashley.

“I don’t believe you. Tell me!” He yelled.

“My—My father was like you,” Ashley confessed. “He killed a lot of women before I was a teenager. His name was Charles Beauchamp and they called him the Redmond Ripper.” Piper’s breath quickened as she felt his grip loosen on her.

"Do you hate him?" Ashley looked into Drew's eyes, not quite sure what the answer was. But she didn't have to answer. Piper’s body made two quick movements as both hands ripped his wrist from her neck, and she twisted before plunging the knife into his body without Drew even realising. Piper stepped back, breathing hard as Aaron and David sprinted up the stairs, their guns raised, only to find them unnecessary. Aaron watched Piper standing, reeling in the tragedy of her actions. In one swing, she had killed a widowed man and made a child an orphan. David called for an ambulance as Piper moved to pick up her gun from the floor, holstering it before she made to walk past them. Dave stopped her, letting her know that there wouldn’t be any cop cars in the back of the house. Piper offered him a weak smile before sprinting down the steps. She slipped out the back door, finally being able to breathe when she caught Spencer’s frame. Emily made herself scarce as Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist.

“You’re okay?” Piper pressed a kiss to his jaw.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ve got something brilliant waiting for me.” Spencer snorted, pulling away only to pull her into a deep kiss. Piper revelled in his warmth, even as he pulled his lips away to rest his forehead against hers.

“Pipes?”

“Hmm?”

“Move in with me,” he pleaded, and Piper reeled, stepping back, her eyes flung open.

“Sp—”

“I-I mean if it’s too soon, that’s perfectly fine, just—I just—I can’t live without you, Piper. I don’t want to,” he confessed, afraid to meet her gaze while Piper put the pieces together.

“H—How long have you been thinking about this?” Spencer looked like a fish out of water, gasping for breath. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter,” Piper dismissed, stepping forward to grasp his hands. “Dr Reid, it would be my absolute pleasure to move in with you." She rose to her tip-toes, kissing him softly as her hand rose to caress his jaw. He let out a sigh, pulling something out of his pocket and Piper swore she could cry at any given moment as he clasped a small chain around her wrist, a tiny, rose-gold key charm dangling on her wrist. In the darkness of New Mexico, with constellations glittering above them, Piper smiled against her boyfriend’s lips as police sirens went off around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno why, I thought it'd be fun if Emily & Piper panicked like two babysitters with an overactive toddler.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily sat in the corner of the jet, smiling slowly to herself as she glanced at Piper’s wrist as the psychologist lay asleep, curled up in her seat. Spencer had his head turned to the window, fallen asleep. Derek was definitely snoring softly on the couch at the other end of the jet and Emily turned to see Aaron and Dave both approach Ashley who was sitting alone in the centre of the jet. Dave took a seat in front of her while Aaron remained standing. “You were not supposed to go off on your own,” Aaron reminded her.

“I know,” Ashley admitted, feeling more than guilty about her actions.

“You could have been killed. You could’ve gotten others killed,” he berated her.

“I know that, too,” Ashley repeated herself, the image of the other profiler playing over and over again in her head.

“Why, Ashley?” Dave asked, and his voice stung more than Aaron’s ever could. “You're smarter than that.”

“I never got to apologize to any of the victims,” Ashley answered softly. “The families of the women my father killed. I thought if I could just apologize to one family that had been hurt that way...”

“I'm sorry, that's not good enough,” Aaron said coldly. “By making that choice, you put everyone at risk. When you're in the field, we are responsible to and for each other. We are a team.”

“I won't do it again,” she promised.

“No, you won't,” he said with finality before taking a seat opposite Derek, with the intention of sleeping for the rest of the flight. David stayed in his seat, watching Ashley with a discerning eye as she gazed back out the window.

“What else is on your mind?” Ashley took a deep breath, not meeting Dave’s eyes.

“A dog.” She let out a breath, finally meeting Dave’s gaze. “When I was 7 years old, I found a puppy on my way home from school. I ran all the way home with this little ball of fur. I was so excited. And when I got to the house, my dad was the only one home. And I gave him the puppy to hold while I got him some milk. We didn't have dog food, but I thought, well, a puppy's like a baby, so milk, right? And when I got back... My dad was in the bathroom... And he turned and told me to put the milk away. I didn't understand. And he told me we didn't need the hassle of another mouth to feed and I was never to do that again. He tilted his head. I started crying and I could swear he looked like he was having fun.”

“He’s a psychopath,” Dave said gently, but she didn’t need a reminder of her father’s psychopathy. “Cruelty to animals is part of that.”

“I know, but what I don’t understand is…I don’t hate him,” she confessed softly. “I don’t. I try, but…I don’t hate him.”

“No matter what else he is, he's your father,” David consoled her. “Now, you're not responsible for the things he did. But you can't change the fact that to you... He's still your dad.”

“I just feel like he's winning if I don't hate him.”

“No, kiddo... There's no winning. There's just... Living. Moving forward. And if you keep doing that... You'll be all right.”

“Is that true?” David looked around the jet, at the various traumas they’d all suffered through. Aaron’s past with the Boston Reaper. Derek’s unwarranted arrest and his loss of a father. Spencer’s abandonment issues with his father and dealing with his mother’s schizophrenia. Emily’s uncomfortable relationship with her mother and the loss of a dear friend. Piper’s loss of a mother and abuse. They hadn’t just suffered, David corrected. They had survived. They had moved forward, using their past to power through the present, looking out to the future.

“It is for me,” David confessed and Ashley nodded, wiping the tear she hadn’t even noticed trailing down her cheek.

“Thank you.”


End file.
